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Born in a cloud of smoke and fur, multi-instrumentalist Devin McKnight and T-Dredz join forces to become the INDIANA PACERS in their debut collaborative release, Otis.

Known primarily as the guitarist of the seminal Boston act Grass is Green, and, more recently, Northampton, MA's Speedy Ortiz, Devin McKnight churns out riffs with fury, bending dissonance into harmony with acute results. He may be best known for pulling strings, but when he picks up the mic, it's clear that his verses have come a long way from the high school talent shows of his past. A tribute to the album's feline namesake, the lyrics contained were dictated to McKnight over a spliff and a can of salmon with the infamous cat. D-Mac (via Otis) hold a flow of their own, often on very personal terms - Love & Basketball waxes nostalgic over a life lived on the road and eventually lost to a cubicle; the titular Otis' Theme reads as a narrative from the cat himself, boasting of conquests of fish and love affairs with the pet-sitter. On production duty, JASS co-boss T-Dredz carries the record with the signature guitar chops, razor-sharp snare hits, eclectic samples, and interesting compression one would expect. Still, he progresses within his own sound, while taking a more refined approach to the beats as an ode to classic hip hop. Tightly focused in scope but flawlessly executed, Dredz' work invokes the sticky warmth of a summer evening. Comprising the other half of McKnight's acoustic duo, BadKnight, Emily Lenae makes a cameo appearance, rounding out the album with her trademark jazz vocal treatment. Sir Froderick returns on artwork duty & knocks a remix out of the park. Otis comes together as a unique and fully-realized concept - an instant classic.

Otis will be released on 7" Vinyl & Digital formats July 22, 2014.

credits

released July 22, 2014

All songs written & performed by D. McKnight
Produced by T. Skoglund
Additional vocals by E. Lenae on tracks A2 & B3
Mastered by M.J. Thomas III & T. Skoglund at JASS West